Oakland's Bader working hard to improve his NBA Draft status

Though most come up short, Bader is just a few weeks away from potentially realizing that dream.

The 2014 NBA Draft will take place on June 26 and Bader has been projected as a possible second-round pick.

“It would mean a lot of hard work paid off. Ever since I was a kid, I always had the dream of playing in the NBA. I was told countless times that it was an unrealistic dream, but I never stopped pursuing it,” Bader said. “I have worked really hard to get to this point. If I heard my name called, it would be an overwhelming feeling.”

The hard work Bader has displayed all his life has carried over since finishing his career at Oakland University.

The all-time NCAA record holder for 3-point field goals made in a career (504) has spent each and every day working to get his game NBA ready since leaving the Grizzlies.

The road to the NBA Draft started in mid-April with the Portsmouth Invitational, a basketball event featuring a number of potential draft picks. Bader was one of the most impressive players at the four-day event, averaging 19.7 points over three games while shooting 18 of 37 from the field and 11 of 23 from 3-point land.

Bader posted the second-most points in any game of any player that week, scoring 24 points in his first contest. Bader’s efforts earned him a spot on the All-Tournament team.

“Everybody was buzzing about him,” Oakland men’s basketball coach Greg Kampe said of Bader’s play at Portsmouth. “He was given an opportunity and he seized it.”

Bader then made the move to Los Angeles, where he went through training with former UCLA star Don MacLean, who is the Bruins’ all-time scoring leader. Bader would join an impressive roster of talent to prepare for the NBA Draft.

“I started training in L.A. with a great group of guys. I was out there with guys like Gary Harris, Glenn Robinson III, T.J. Warren and James Young,” Bader said. “I am out there with some first-round projected picks and that definitely helped my game over the past month. It helped me get better in my all-around game and in creating my own shot.”

The NBA scouts know all about Bader’s ability to shoot. He finished his Oakland career averaging 17.2 points per game, including a 20.6 average this past season. Along with holding the NCAA record for 3-point field goals made, he also has the record for 3-point attempts at 1,246 in his career.

The question about Bader’s ability to play in the NBA is based on his athleticism and defensive ability. ESPN’s NBA Insider Chad Ford currently lists Bader as the 81st best prospect in this draft and 16th best shooting guard. Ford cites Bader’s lack of elite size and athleticism for his position and limited defensive ability as his weaknesses.

“I think I am more athletic than people think,” Bader said. “I have heard that a knock on me is I am not very athletic, so I have been trying to show my athleticism and let people know I am not just a catch-and-shoot player.”

Bader has also been putting in the work on his defense, which he believes has gotten better thanks to facing players like Harris, Young and Robinson III over the last month.

“I think my defense has gotten a lot better from just going up against the guys I have been playing with and training with. We play a lot of one-on-one and three-on-three, so my defense has had to improve to guard quicker and stronger guys,” Bader said. “In the NBA, you get your chance by playing good defense and then you can prove what you have from there. I have had the chance to guard a point guard, a shooting guard and even a small forward, so I think that has really improved my game.”

Kampe is quick to defend Bader against the criticism of his athleticism and cites the stats as proof to why the critics are wrong.

“The thing I keep telling everyone is that he shot 174 free throws this year. If you are a stand-still shooter, you aren’t shooting 174 free throws. He obviously put the ball on the ground and got to the line,” Kampe said of Bader. “I think everybody is surprised with his athleticism and are finding out that he is not just a stand-still shooter. I think he had that reputation.”

Getting to the line has been a big part of Bader’s game. This past season he shot 164-for-174 from the line, a percentage of .943, which was an Oakland single-season record. He also holds the school record for career free-throw percentage at .878.

Bader has spent most of his career at Oakland being the focal point of opposing defenses. Should he be given a chance in the NBA, Bader will be given an opportunity to create his own shot and create openings for his teammates.

“Ever since I have been at Oakland, even before that, I have been the focus of the opposing defense. Teams have really latched on to me and tried to contain me. I definitely think if I got an opportunity in the NBA, I would be a great guy to have on your team,” Bader said. “I know I would be a role player that would be in the game to play defense and knock down shots. I think I could really spread the court for the superstars on the team and create some defensive problems if given an open shot.”

Kampe agrees and thinks Bader could be a huge asset to the top stars in the league.

“They key thing about Travis that I strongly believe is that he can make your stars better. (The opponent) can’t leave him to double the stars,” Kampe said. “If he can get with a really good post player, or even an elite player like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, I think he has a much better chance to succeed. What Travis brings to the table is that you can’t leave him open. He creates a challenge for the defense.”

NBA teams have been taking notice of Bader, as his workout schedule has been full. Bader has already had workouts for teams like the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings and the Miami Heat. Bader has six more workouts scheduled prior to the NBA Draft, including a workout for the Detroit Pistons on June 24.

While it is uncertain if Bader will get drafted, it appears certain he will get his chance to play in the NBA.

“My opinion is that he will get drafted because I think a lot of teams don’t want to take the risk that someone else will get him,” Kampe said. “A lot of people are positioning themselves so that if Travis doesn’t get drafted, they can sign him immediately after the draft. I have had at least three teams tell me that if he isn’t drafted that they want to sign him and bring him to their camp.”

Bader isn’t letting himself get stressed out about the NBA Draft. He will be looking on calmly on June 26, surrounded by those close to him. Bader is content knowing he has put in all the work to make his dream come true.

“I am just going to be with family and a couple friends. I am not going to get my hopes up for anything, but at the same time I am going to enjoy the experience,” Bader said “If my name gets called I would be thrilled. I definitely think I could help an NBA team.”

Should Bader get drafted, he would become the second Oakland player selected in the last four years, joining Keith Benson, who was selected 48th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Bader could also become the third Oakland player to appear in an NBA game, joining Benson and Rawle Marshall. Marshall played for the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers from 2005-07.

“To have two players drafted in a four-year period, there aren’t 80 schools in the country that could say that. That would be huge for us. If he plays in an NBA game, that would be three players in a decade. I think that is saying a lot about our program and the quality of basketball that Oakland plays,” Kampe said. “It is something that we can preach to recruits, that you can get to the NBA through Oakland. When you have three players get to the NBA, it isn’t luck.

Bader takes pride in representing the Grizzlies and helping build the Oakland name around the country.

“I love being able to represent Oakland and wear that across my chest,” Bader said. “Some people may not know where that is or know much about the team, but Oakland gave me an opportunity to be where I am now, so I owe it to the school to represent it well and give my all to make this dream happen.”

You can follow Bader’s NBA Draft journey through Twitter at @DarthBader3